When Linus Ullmark learned he was being traded to the Ottawa Senators, he had to make a difficult phone call to Jeremy Swayman — who he formed a close bond with during his three seasons with the Boston Bruins.
The two were close on and off the ice, and started a goalie hug tradition — one that Ullmark won’t bring to Ottawa — after every win. With how close the two had gotten, Ullmark said on the “What Chaos!” podcast that he was “literally shaking” during the call.
“A lot of tears,” he told hosts DJ Bean and Pete Blackburn. “I remember I gave him the call as soon as I talked to the GMs and my agent. I called him right away. And I was shaking. I was literally shaking and trying to get the words to come out. ... Obviously when you’re calling someone, you want them to understand you. ... But it was a feeling of emptiness, as well, and a sense of OK, this is it. This is the end of what we’ve built throughout the three years.”
Ullmark added that Swayman told him, “it doesn’t matter if we’re two miles apart or 20,000 miles apart, we’re still gonna be brothers for life.”
Swayman spent a lot of time with the Ullmarks away from the rink. He even dressed up as Santa Claus for Ullmark’s children.
“He’s always gonna be ‘Uncle Sway’ to the kids,” Ullmark said. “He’s always gonna be, in my mind, my little brother. My wife will always adore him.”
And even though the two will be playing for different teams in different countries, Ullmark knows the bond they share won’t be broken. The 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner is still going to bring his now-former teammate cinnamon buns before the Bruins and the Senators play one another.
“It really feels that it is for forever in a way of how we are as people,” Ullmark said. “... We might drift apart, but there’s always gonna be a connection that will pull is together again. And if that is in 10 years or 15 years or 50 years, it doesn’t matter. I know that I can always look back at this point as one of the best moments or times in my life. And I have this wonderful person that came with this decision to move to Boston.”
It’s unclear when the Senators and the Bruins will play each other during the 2024-25 NHL season. But that question will soon be answered with Boston releasing its schedule on July 2.
